Update: The LeConte will resume service Sunday, June 16, but about 5½ hours behind schedule. The Malaspina will sail Juneau to Gustavus roundtrip on Saturday night to alleviate stranded travelers in Gustavus. The ferry will depart Auke Bay at 10 .p.m and return in time to sail Lynn Canal as scheduled Sunday morning.

The ferry LeConte is at the Ketchikan Shipyard due to a recurring issue with its bow thruster.

Marine highway spokesman Jeremy Woodrow says it will take close examination to determine what needs to be fixed.

“Because of where the bow thruster is located and the nature of the issue, it’s required to be put up on drydock and the closest drydock is in Ketchikan,” he says.

The bow thruster is a two-way engine that helps maneuver the front of the vessel. Thruster problems cancelled several sailings earlier this month.

The 300-passenger, 35-vehicle LeConte is scheduled to be back in service June 15th. But Woodrow says it could take another day or so.

The ship is based in Juneau and sails to Angoon, Hoonah, Tenakee, Gustavus and Pelican this time of year.

The ferry Matanuska docks in Wrangell, giving a passenger a chance to make a cell phone call.

The ferry Matanuska had its own mechanical problems earlier this week.

Woodrow says they were in the engine room. Repairs delayed the ship’s Prince Rupert departure by three hours.

That’s affecting arrival and departure times through early Saturday morning.

“What really put them behind schedule is that it made them miss the tide in the Wrangell Narrows, so they were delayed it Ketchikan for a longer time than they wanted to be,” he says.

The ship sails from Rupert to Skagway, with stops in Ketchikan, Wrangell, Petersburg, Juneau and Haines. It can carry about 500 passengers and 90 vehicles.

The ferry Tustumena remains at Seward’s shipyard after a winter repair project found additional issues. Woodrow says it should return to service July 24th. The ship carries up to 175 passengers and 35 vehicles

He says the marine highway’s eight other vessels are sailing without significant problems.

Schedule updates are available from ferry terminals or the AMHS central reservations office at 1-907-465-3941, toll f